This is to Mr Ban Ki-Moon, United Nations Secretary-General. The target is to reach 10,000 signatures. End Shark Finning! Not sure how effective UN will be but imho, better to be able to do something, than not... Time is running...

Has anyone been able to sign the petition today? I just tried -- with two different browsers -- and neither worked. I just plugged the petition on the front page, and it would be a shame if the system were down.

---The Underwater Channel is looking to get 10,000 signatures on a petition to help put an end to shark finning.

On average in recent years sharks have accounted for less than ten human deaths annually in all the world’s seas to fuel the growing demand for shark fins, man has been killing up to 100 million sharks each year. The Underwater Channel wants action and we are urging our viewers to contact the United Nations Secretary-General and request that member states be made aware of the threats to sharks and encouraged to put in place effective legislation to stop shark-finning, or more effectively police existing laws.

We are looking to get 10,000 signatures before World Ocean Day on June 8, 2009. The petition is currently online, and you can sign it electronically or by mail.

I doubt the shark conservation orgs will work together before sharks are wiped out. That's a crappy attitude to have, but from what I've seen, they are most interested in posturing and fighting when they are put in the same room.

My thoughts entirely Eric. The 'finners' (and each and every other natural resource exploiter) are laughing at the conservationist's fragmented approach... Whilst highly laudable, the plethora of petitions and protests generated by indivduals and little action groups achieve little and are a 'drop in the ocean' to what is required. One day the activists will wake up, put their self interests to one side and start working together. Sadly however, I think you are right. It will then be TOO LATE!!

Well, about organisations, at least they do something it's still beter than doing nothing thinking "it's useless".

As I said several times, I think the solution is in the money. this number often pop-out : a living sharks is 250.000$ a year in the bahamas, when a dead one a 50-60$ one time. The problem is, this money don't go to the same people.
The solution would be, for some countries, to pay the fishermen with the tourism money.
Let say 1%. you give 2500$ a year for every sharks a fishermen will not kill. I'm sure he will agree with this :] paying for not working. (you can do this using tags fishermen put on sharks. if the shark is seen alive, the fisherman who regitered the tag get 2500$)

then, the problem is to organize the whole stuff. some diving center are already giving 1% of the benefits to conservation effort, when they'll ALL do that it's gonna be a good step.

about beeing too late, I'm not sure it's true. In some part of the world probably, but others are still pretty good.
Then, the question is to know if sharks populations will recover the empty areas when the massacre will stop.

we'll lost some species for sure, but we still can try to save most of them.

Thanks, Eric & All!
Humans are mostly sel-fish & most can't get along. It is difficult to get a group of 15 divers to get along, even when they have a common interest - diving... Just hoping some good will come out of this petition. There are nearly 6800 signatures now...

It's pretty pathetic that we can't even get 10,000 signatures to stop shark finning -- from a community that really cares, even. For example, the petition "Ban the Gas Chamber for Animals in Michigan" has nearly 40,000 signatures.

Can't give up - especially when so few in numbers seem to care or realize the importance. I feel as though it may be a slow (painful) process, but the mindset is far different these days than it was ten years ago. Has to be something said for that.

Can't give up - especially when so few in numbers seem to care or realize the importance. I feel as though it may be a slow (painful) process, but the mindset is far different these days than it was ten years ago. Has to be something said for that.

Well the fact is, I guess, that when you signed 15 different petition to stop shark finning during the last 3 years, at some point you just start to not sign anymore. well, I do, but I guess some people just "give up"

Are you sure nothing happened with all them Autopsea? Obviously, many of these petitions may not make it very far - but some do. I've just witnessed it here first hand where I live in Hawaii. A bill was put together to protect manta rays in Hawaiian waters - and after getting countless signatures and comments from the public - as well as some help from a couple organizations, the bill made it through both the House and the Senate here unanimously and is now sitting on the Governors desk waiting to be signed into law.

Also, The Shark Conservation Act of 2009 is being considered right now as well - The US gov't site states this:

"H.R. 81 would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify nations whose fishing vessels have engaged in activities that directly target or accidentally catch sharks. NOAA would be required to maintain a public list of each nation that had targeted sharks during fishing activities. The list would also be required to include information regarding any regulatory measures being taken by each nation to conserve sharks.

In addition, the bill would prohibit fisherman from removing any shark fins at sea, having a fin aboard a fishing vessel that is not attached to the carcass, or transferring a fin from one vessel to another unless it is naturally attached to a shark."

I'd rather be positive in this - and think that it's pretty cool these things are at least being discussed over the past few years (2007 - US passes law stating no shark finning and that all fins need to be attached to carcasses). No doubt, most/all nations are way behind in these issues - but as I said before, ten years ago - these issues weren't really even a consideration. At least people are talking about it - and kids are learning differently today.

I'd rather be positive in this - and think that it's pretty cool these things are at least being discussed over the past few years (2007 - US passes law stating no shark finning and that all fins need to be attached to carcasses). No doubt, most/all nations are way behind in these issues - but as I said before, ten years ago - these issues weren't really even a consideration. At least people are talking about it - and kids are learning differently today.

I am positive too, I kind of "know" we'll win this war even with losing some battles. I know what happened (as working with and on sharks and having myself to write about what's happening, conservation, sciences, etc...) and what's happening, and I'm really happy about it. What I wanted to say is, when you sign a petition, well you sign it, and then??? for most of the people, nothing happen, because you don't get a personal email saying : here is what happened with the petition you signed. we almost never hear about effect of petitions. pull people really "in" the fight by giving news. what kind of king will continue sending armies in a battle if he don't even know if it's usefull?

Well, OF COURSE, comme petitions and associations do it, but most of the time, I never personally heard anything back about what I signed. or maybe I did by reading on news, but without knowing it was from this or this petition.